Wire installation tool

ABSTRACT

An in-ground wire installation tool including a body having a concave-shaped side with a pointed edge; an opposing side including a channel configured to dispense a wire, the concave-shaped side and the opposing side being connected via a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion including an attachment portion configured to house a shaft; and the bottom portion connecting the concave-shaped side and the channel, the bottom portion including a blade.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser.No. 63/155,425 filed Mar. 2, 2021, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated in its entirety by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to a mechanical device arranged to install a wirein the ground and a method of using the same.

BACKGROUND

Outdoor lighting and invisible fences require in-ground wireinstallation. Different installation methods have been developed usingvarious tools and equipment. Professional in-ground wire installation istypically expensive. To avoid the cost associated with professionalequipment and installation, various methods have been developed fornon-commercial purposes aimed at individuals interested indo-it-yourself (DIY) installation. But the DIY methods are typicallyvery time-consuming, impractical, and may require different approaches,depending on the type of the terrain.

SUMMARY

In at least one embodiment, an in-ground wire installation tool isdisclosed. The tool may include a body having a fin-shaped side with apointed edge, an opposing side including a channel for dispensing awire, a top portion including at attachment portion configured toreceive a shaft, and a bottom portion connecting the fin-shaped side andthe channel. The tool may further include a wire assembly, attachable tothe top portion, from which the wire may be dispensed.

In another embodiment, an in-ground wire installation tool is disclosed.The tool may include a body having a concave-shaped side with a pointededge. The tool may also include an opposing side including a channelconfigured to dispense a wire. The concave-shaped side and the opposingside may be connected via a top portion and a bottom portion. The topportion may include an attachment portion configured to house a shaft.The bottom portion may connect the concave-shaped side and the channel.The bottom portion may include a blade. The attachment portion may beimmediately adjacent to the channel. The channel may be a curvedelongated channel. The attachment portion may include a screw-thread.The body may be fin-shaped. The blade may run along an entire length ofthe bottom portion. The channel may have a rectangular cross-section.The tool may further include a wire assembly configured to dispense awire. The wire assembly may be attachable to the top portion.

In yet another embodiment, an in-ground wire installation tool isdisclosed. The tool may include a body having a top portion, a bottomportion, a first side terminating in a blade, and a second side. Thesecond side may be located opposite the first side. The second side mayhave a channel configured to dispense a wire. The body may be configuredto receive a shaft for driving the tool. The bottom portion may bedisposed between the first side and the second side. The tool mayfurther include a wire assembly attachable to the body for dispensingthe wire. The body may include an attachment portion configured toreceive the shaft. The body may include a rim having a greater thicknessthan the rest of the body. The channel may run from the bottom portiontowards the top portion. The side terminating with a blade may include acurvature.

In an alternative embodiment, an in-ground wire installation tool isdisclosed. The tool may have a body having a top portion, a bottomportion, a first side having a blade, and a second side. The second sidemay be located opposite the first side. The second side may have achannel originating at the bottom portion and terminating at the firstside. The channel may be configured to dispense a wire. The body mayinclude an attachment portion. The attachment portion may be located inthe top portion. The attachment portion may be configured to receive ashaft for driving the tool. The bottom portion may connect the firstside and the second side. The channel may be an elongated straightchannel. The attachment portion may be located above the channel. Thefirst side may have a sharp edge along its length. The tool may furtherinclude a sleeve insertable into the channel. The sleeve may include asecuring mechanism adapted to lock the sleeve in a position onceinserted in the channel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A depicts a side view of a non-limiting example of awire-inserting tool disclosed herein;

FIG. 1B depicts a cross-sectional view of the tool shown in FIG. 4 alongthe lines A-A;

FIG. 1C shows another non-limiting example of the tool disclosed herein;

FIG. 1D depicts a side perspective view of another non-limiting exampleof the tool disclosed herein having a curved channel;

FIG. 1E shows a side view of a non-limiting example of the tool havingan alternative placement of the curved channel;

FIG. 1F depicts a perspective side view of a non-limiting example of thetool having an alternative placement of the straight channel;

FIG. 1G shows an alternative version of a top portion of the tool;

FIGS. 2A and 2B show non-limiting examples of the wire-leading channelof the tool disclosed herein;

FIG. 3 shows the wire-installing tool with a wire assembly and a secondtool;

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the tool having a threaded attachmentportion;

FIG. 5 shows another non-limiting example of the tool having a guideportion featuring no curves;

FIG. 6A shows a detailed view of the end point 26 depicted in FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 7A and 7B show bottom views of non-limiting examples of the bottomportion of the tool;

FIG. 8 shows a perspective side view of a non-limiting example of thetool disclosed herein;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective side view of a non-limiting example of thetool disclosed herein;

FIG. 10 shows a non-limiting example of an adapter insertable in thetool's channel; and

FIG. 11 shows a non-limiting example of the adapter inserted within thetool's channel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to beunderstood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examplesand other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. Thefigures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggeratedor minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore,specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not tobe interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis forteaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the presentinvention. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand,various features illustrated and described with reference to any one ofthe figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or moreother figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustratedor described. The combinations of features illustrated providerepresentative embodiments for typical applications. Variouscombinations and modifications of the features consistent with theteachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particularapplications or implementations.

Except in the examples, or where otherwise expressly indicated, allnumerical quantities in this description indicating amounts of materialor conditions of reaction and/or use are to be understood as modified bythe word “about” in describing the broadest scope of the disclosure.

The first definition of an acronym or other abbreviation applies to allsubsequent uses herein of the same abbreviation and applies mutatismutandis to normal grammatical variations of the initially definedabbreviation. Unless expressly stated to the contrary, measurement of aproperty is determined by the same technique as previously or laterreferenced for the same property.

It must also be noted that, as used in the specification and theappended claims, the singular form “a,” “an,” and “the” comprise pluralreferents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example,reference to a component in the singular is intended to comprise aplurality of components.

As used herein, the term “substantially,” “generally,” or “about” meansthat the amount or value in question may be the specific valuedesignated or some other value in its neighborhood. Generally, the term“about” denoting a certain value is intended to denote a range within+/−5% of the value. As one example, the phrase “about 100” denotes arange of 100+/−5, i.e. the range from 95 to 105. Generally, when theterm “about” is used, it can be expected that similar results or effectsaccording to the disclosure can be obtained within a range of +/−5% ofthe indicated value. The term “substantially” may modify a value orrelative characteristic disclosed or claimed in the present disclosure.In such instances, “substantially” may signify that the value orrelative characteristic it modifies is within ±0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%,3%, 4%, 5% or 10% of the value or relative characteristic.

It should also be appreciated that integer ranges explicitly include allintervening integers. For example, the integer range 1-10 explicitlyincludes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Similarly, the range 1 to100 includes 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . 97, 98, 99, 100. Similarly, when anyrange is called for, intervening numbers that are increments of thedifference between the upper limit and the lower limit divided by 10 canbe taken as alternative upper or lower limits. For example, if the rangeis 1.1. to 2.1 the following numbers 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8,1.9, and 2.0 can be selected as lower or upper limits. Any two numbers,of a set of numbers, may form an integer range. For example, if thedisclosed numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the range the numbers cover may be1 to 5, 1 to 3, 2 to 4, 3 to 4, among other options.

As used herein, the term “and/or” means that either all or only one ofthe elements of said group may be present. For example, “A and/or B”means “only A, or only B, or both A and B”. In the case of “only A”, theterm also covers the possibility that B is absent, i.e. “only A, but notB”.

It is also to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to thespecific embodiments and methods described below, as specific componentsand/or conditions may, of course, vary. Furthermore, the terminologyused herein is used only for the purpose of describing particularembodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to be limitingin any way.

The term “comprising” is synonymous with “including,” “having,”“containing,” or “characterized by.” These terms are inclusive andopen-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or methodsteps.

The phrase “consisting of” excludes any element, step, or ingredient notspecified in the claim. When this phrase appears in a clause of the bodyof a claim, rather than immediately following the preamble, it limitsonly the element set forth in that clause; other elements are notexcluded from the claim as a whole.

The phrase “consisting essentially of” limits the scope of a claim tothe specified materials or steps, plus those that do not materiallyaffect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed subjectmatter.

The term “one or more” means “at least one” and the term “at least one”means “one or more.” The terms “one or more” and “at least one” include“plurality” as a subset.

To improve curb appeal, property owners typically install outdoorlighting to illuminate certain parts of their properties. Similarly,property owners may choose to install a so called invisible or electricfence around their property to keep their companion animals such as dogswithin the property boundaries. To install the outdoor lighting and theelectric fence, typically, an electric wire needs to be installed in theflower beds and/or under the sod.

Those involved in these home improvement projects are largely split intotwo subgroups: professionals and homeowners who like to do the workthemselves. Homeowners who view themselves as “Do-It-Yourselfers,” orDIYers, may rely on their own skills to execute a project. Conversely,professionals are often called upon to perform services that involveacquired skills which homeowners may not possess, a considerable amountof manual labor, and/or the use of expensive or highly specializedequipment that may be challenging to operate.

Recently, there has been a proliferation of tools and techniques thatappeal to DIYers because they make it possible for homeowners to addvalue to their property with a relatively small investment of time andmoney and achieve results that equal, or perhaps even surpass, resultsof work done by professionals. More specifically, the growing acceptanceof electric pet barriers, and the transition from high-voltage tolow-voltage landscape lighting systems have increased the interest ofDIYers who see great value in having the ability to design and installthese types of subterranean wire-based systems themselves.

The installation of an in-ground antenna for a pet containment system isone of such arenas of DIYers' interest. Since the flow of electriccurrent through this antenna has a relatively low and safe voltage oramperage, there is little risk that an error in installation techniquemight put others at risk of a severe shock.

Yet, to date, little has been done to either simplify or lower the costof burying the antenna of an electric pet containment system. DIYers inthis consumer segment have the choice of using either a shovel or spade,or they may opt to rent a motorized device for a period of time neededto do the work. Those who consider renting a motorized cable installerare confronted with additional costs and effort associated with rentingthe machine and transporting it to the work location.

Cable installations for the purpose of creating a lighted outdoorlandscape are only slightly more involved than the installation of ananimal containment antenna. A low-voltage lighting circuit uses a wirethat is designed to carry sufficient electricity to power a circuit sothe gauge of the landscape wire is much larger than a pet containmentantenna wire. Also, since the lighting circuit is a parallel (notseries) design, two wires are molded into a single insulating cover.While these differences make the size and weight of the landscape wiremuch greater, the basic concept of burying the wire under the ground'ssurface remain about the same for both applications. Just like with theanimal containment enclosure, the installation is typically very timeconsuming and requires many different process steps and techniques.

For example, the typical installation may require cutting a trenchthrough the sod with a tool such as a pick axe, separating and removingportions of the sod with a spade, removing a layer of the soil under thesod to expose the trench, forcing the wire into the trench whileensuring that the appropriate amount of wire is inserted in the trench,packing the soil over the wire to keep the wire in the trench, placingthe previously dug-up soil over the trench, replacing the sod, andwatering the same.

Thus, there is a need for a relatively simple, inexpensive installationtool and a universal method for electric wire in-ground installation.

In one or more embodiments disclosed herein, a wire installation tool isdisclosed. The tool may be an inserter. The tool may be an in-ground,under-ground, or subterranean installation or inserter tool. The toolmay be a device for placement of a wire such as an electrical wirein-ground or under-ground. The terms “in-ground” and/or “underground”may relate to a depth of several inches below the terrain surface or toa position relatively near the surface of the terrain. The depth mayrelate to about 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) to 5 inches (12.7 cm), 1 inch (2.54cm) to 4 inches (10.16 cm), or 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) to 2.5 inches (6.35cm) below surface.

The wire may be a wire or a cable. The terms “wire” and “cable” are usedinterchangeably. The wire may relate to a strand, a single electricconductor, multiple conductors, or a group of wires. The wire or wiresmay include a casing or a protective sheath. The wire may be an electricwire or a wire designed to conduct electricity. The wire may have avariety of sizes. The wire gauge may be, for example, 6, 8, 10, 12, or14. The wire may be connected as antennae to a remotely positionedtransmitter. The wire may be an antenna. The wire may carry radiosignals that interact with a receiver. The receiver may be a receiverworn by an animal. The wire may carry electrical power used toilluminate one or more lamps used for exterior lighting of a landscape.

A non-limiting example of the tool 10 is depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B.The tool 10 has a body 11. In at least the illustrated embodiments, thebody includes a top portion 12, a bottom portion 16, and sides 17 and 24extending between and connecting the top and bottom portions. The topportion 12 may have a first opening 14. The first opening 14 may beconfigured to accommodate a wire passing from the top portion 12 of thetool 10 to the bottom portion 16 of the tool 10. The bottom portion 16of the tool may have a second opening 18. The first and second openings14, 18 may define the beginning and ending points of a channel 20 viawhich the wire may be led. The channel 20 may be located on the side 17of the body 11. The channel 20 may extend from the top portion 12 to thebottom portion 16, alongside the length of the side 17. The channel 20may extend for a portion or the entire length of the side 17. The side17 with the channel 20 forms the back side of the tool 10.

In another embodiment, the channel's first opening 14 may be located onthe opposite side from side 17, that is on side 24 or the guide portion.Such arrangement may provide alternative accommodation for theattachment portion 22 discussed below. A non-limiting example of suchembodiment is shown in FIGS. 1E and 1F. The channel 20 may be straightor have a curved shape between the first and second openings 14, 18.

The opening 14 of the channel 20 may be located beneath, below, or underthe attachment portion 22. The opening 14 may be located at leastpartially above the attachment portion 22. The opening 14 may be locatedadjacent, immediately adjacent to, or be spatially removed from theattachment portion 22. The opening 14 may be located in the top orcentral portion of the side 17 or 24. The opening 14 may be located at,at least, at most ½, ¼, ⅛, 1/16, or ⅓ distance between the upper-mostpart of the tool 10 and the tip 26.

The channel 20 may have any suitable configuration, and for instance maybe a tunnel, artery, canal, chamber, conduit, duct, groove, passage,tube, or the like. Two example embodiments of the channel 20 are shownin FIGS. 2A and 2B. The channel 20′, depicted in FIG. 2A, may beenclosed, resembling a tube. The wire may be enclosed in the tube afterpassing through the opening 14. Alternatively, the channel 20″, depictedin FIG. 2B, may be open on one side, such as is shown in the illustratedembodiment. The opening may be partial or full. The opened channel 20″may resemble a groove. The wire may be partially exposed in the channel20″. The groove 20″ may feature one or more bridges 21 leading from oneside of the channel 20″ to the other side of the channel 20″. Thebridges 21 may be configured to keep the wire within the channel 20″.The bridges may be absent such that the channel 20″ is bridge free.

Alternatively, instead of a channel 20, the side 17 may include a groovewith one or more bridges extending over the groove. For example, a firstgroove may be in the point of opening 14, a second groove may be locatedin the point of opening 18. Additional grooves may be located randomly-or regularly-spaced between the points 14 and 18. In such embodiment,the wire is exposed, but kept within the groove by means of the one ormore bridges. The number of bridges may be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,or more.

The channel 20 may have any suitable cross-section, such as a circular,square, rectangular, annular, or regular cross-section. An example of acircular cross-section is shown in FIG. 8. An example of a rectangularcross-sectional is shown in FIG. 9. The channel's cross-section,dimensions, or both may be designed to accommodate different wires ormore than one wire. The channel 20 may include an internal thread orscrew-thread. The channel 20 may be enclosable with a cap, lid, oranother closing portion 15.

The channel 20 may be generally straight, as is shown for example inFIG. 1A, 8, or 9. Alternatively, the channel 20 may be curved. Anon-limiting example of a curved channel 20 is shown in FIG. 1D. Thecurvature may have any angle as long as the wire can pass through thechannel 20 relatively unobstructed. A different curvature is shown inFIG. 1E. The curved channel may have a shape of an S curve, logarithmiccurve, exponential curve, sigmoid curve, power curve, hill equationcurve, or the like. The channel 20 may be linear, parabolic, or thelike.

The channel 20 may form an integral part of the tool 10. The channel 20and the tool 10 may be free of any seams, seals, connections. Thechannel 20 may be manufactured as a unitary part of the tool 10.

The channel 20 may include an adapter 25. The adapter 25 may enable useof wires with different dimensions. A non-liming example of the adapteris a sleeve 25. The sleeve 25 may form a flexible or rigid tube, whichmay be structured as a liner for the channel 20. The sleeve 25 may befixed or removable. The sleeve may be insertable in the channel 20. FIG.10 shows a non-limiting example of the sleeve 25. The sleeve may have anelongated body 30 terminating in a proximal end 32 and a distal end 34.The body 30 may be hollow, having a diameter larger than a diameter ofthe wire designed to pass through the sleeve 25, but smaller than thediameter of the channel. Various sleeves may be implemented toaccommodate a need for different wire diameters in one or moreapplications. Installation of the sleeve 25 within the channel 20, orits removal from the channel 20, enables flexibility with respect to thesize and number of wires to be installed.

When inserted in the channel 20, the distal end 34 may be flush with theopening 18 of the channel 20. Alternatively, the distal end 34 mayextend beyond the opening 18, as is shown in FIG. 11. The proximal end32 may have greater dimensions such as a diameter than the remainder ofthe sleeve 25. The proximal end 32 may be configured as a stopper,preventing the sleeve 25 from sliding through the channel 20. Theproximal end may be structured to secure the sleeve 25 within thechannel 20. For example, the sleeve 25 may include a bulky portion witha diameter greater than the diameter of the opening 14. When theproximal end 32 comes in contact with the opening 14, the sleeve 25cannot proceed any further, and the sleeve 25 is secured in itsposition. The securing may be also due to gravitation forces, a lockingmechanism, or both. The proximal end may include a locking mechanism,for example a threaded interior matching a thread of the opening 14. Theproximal end 32 may include one or more ridges or another grip surfacefor easy handling.

The sleeve 25 may be insertable in a channel 20 of any shape. Forexample, the sleeve 25 may be sufficiently flexible to accommodate achannel 20 having a curvature. Alternatively, the sleeve 25 may be rigidor flexible to accommodate a straight channel 20. A non-limiting exampleof the tool 10 with the sleeve 25 inserted within the channel 20 isdepicted in FIG. 11. As can be seen in FIG. 11, the sleeve's 25 distalend protrudes from the opening 18 and extends beyond the opening 18. Thelength of the sleeve 25 is thus greater than the length of the channel20. The securing mechanism at the proximal end 32 of the sleeve 25 isshown at opening 14.

The tool 10 may include a wire assembly 19, schematically depicted inFIG. 3. In one or more embodiments, the tool 10 may include one or morewire assemblies 19 such as 2 or 3 wire assemblies, each carryingdifferent or the same type of wire. The wire assembly 19 may include oneor more spools, one or more wire dispensers, one or more wires, one ormore holders, hardware such as nuts, bolts, the like, or a combinationthereof. The wire assembly 19 may be configured as a source, orpotential source, of wire(s) the tool 10 is arranged to deposit in theground. The wire assembly 19 may be attachable, removable, orpermanently attached to the tool 10. The wire assembly 19 may betemporarily or permanently attached to one or more portions of the tool10. For example, the wire assembly 19 may be attached to the top portion12, the side 17, the side 24, or a combination thereof. Alternatively,the wire assembly 19 may be attachable or attached to another objectbesides the tool 10, for example to a shaft 102 or another object 100inserted or attached to the tool 10, for example via an attachmentportion 22 described below. The wire assembly 19 may be attached viahardware such as nut(s), bolt(s), bracket(s), the like, or acombination.

The wire assembly 19 is configured to provide a wire to be buried in theterrain via the tool 10. The wire originates in the wire assembly 19having a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end is located in the wireassembly 19. The free end of the wire is configured to enter the firstopening 14 of the channel 20, continue in a gravitational, downwarddirection via the channel 20 to the second opening 18, and exit via thesecond opening 18 at the level of the bottom portion 16 of the tool 10.The free end of the wire is then ready for installation in the ground.The free end unwinds from the wire assembly 19 as the wire is beingdispensed into the ground.

The top portion 12 may include an attachment portion 22, shown in FIG.1A and cross-sectional view of FIG. 1B. The attachment portion 22 may beconfigured to accept an additional or second tool 100. The additionaltool 100 may be a shaft, bar, rod, handle, paint roller, broom, or thelike. The attachment portion 22 may have any suitable configuration orshape. The attachment portion 22 may be a recessed or hollowed-outportion of the body 11 of the tool 10. The attachment portion 22 mayhave any suitable shape, such as being shaped like a nook, cavity,crevice, niche, recess, pocket, or the like. A non-limiting example ofan attachment portion 22 top view is shown in FIG. 4. The attachmentportion 22 may be a threaded receiver, schematically shown in FIG. 4.The attachment portion 22 may be a cavity having dimensions such asdepth d and width w. The dimensions may be configured to accommodate oneor more types of tool 100. The dimensions may be set or adjustable.

In an alternative embodiment, the attachment portion 22 may protrudefrom the body 11 such that the attachment portion 22 exceeds one or moredimensions of the body 11. The attachment portion 22 may be attached tothe body 11, for example, to the top portion 12. For example, theattachment portion 22 may include a track with a stop mounted on top ofthe top portion 12 of the body 11. The top portion 12 may be flat. Thesecond tool 100 may include a part complimentary to the track such thatthe second tool 100 may be slidably attachable to the track against thestop.

The attachment portion 22 may be attached via one or more fasteners,adhesive, or a combination thereof. The attachment portion 22 may bemolded, extruded, or formed by another method as a part of the body 11.Also, the attachment portion 22 may be a suitable receptacle(s) orattachment means, such as a bracket, attachable to the body 11 of thetool 10.

In yet another embodiment, the tool 10 may be free from an attachmentportion 22 and the top portion 12 may extend into a shaft 102 operableby a user. The shaft 102 may be a rod, pole, handle, or the like. Anon-limiting example of such embodiment is shown in FIG. 1C.

While the attachment portion 22, the second tool 100, and/or the shaft102 are shown leaning at an angle towards the front side of the tool 10,side 24, other arrangements are contemplated. For example, as can beseen in FIG. 1D, the attachment portion 22, the second tool 100, and/orthe shaft 102 may be slanted in the opposite direction, leaning towardsthe back side of the tool 10, the side 17. Alternatively still, theangle at which the second tool 100, and/or the shaft 102, is positionedwith respect to the body 11 may be adjustable such that the user mayselectively choose an angle at which to set the second tool 100, and/orthe shaft 102. A non-limiting example of such embodiment is shown inFIG. 1G. The angle may influence ease of movement of the tool 10 in thesoil. The angle influences whether the user may move the tool 10 in thesoil by a pushing or pulling movement.

As FIG. 1G shows, the selective angle may be achieved by providing amechanism 23 allowing such selection. The mechanism 23 may be a hingeattached in the top portion 12 of the tool 10. The hinged connection 23may be located above, adjacent to, or both with respect to the channel20. For example, in FIG. 1G, the channel 20 is located below the hingedconnection 23 of the attachment portion 22. The degree of flexibilitymay be about 10 to 180°, 20 to 150°, or 30 to 90°.

The tool 10 may include a guide portion 24, shown for example in FIGS.1A through 1D. The guide portion 24 forms a front side of the tool 10.The guide portion 24 may have a curved or arcuate side 24 extending fromthe top portion 12 to the bottom portion 16. The curved guide portion 24may be shaped like a bow. The guide portion may be concave-shaped. Theguide portion may be convex-shaped. The guide portion 24 may befin-shaped. In an alternative embodiment, shown in a non-limitingexample of FIG. 5, the guide portion 24 may be a relatively straightside portion connecting the top portion 12 to the bottom portion 16,with the guide portion 24 having no curves. The guide portion 24 mayhave a sharp or pointy edge, such as a blade, along a portion or itsentire length. The guide portion 24 may be located on the opposite sideof the body 11 than the channel 20, as is shown for example in FIG. 1A.The channel 20 may be located, at least partially, on the guide portion24 side. For example, the channel's top portion may be located on theguide portion 24 side and transition onto the back side 17. The channel20 may originate at the bottom portion on the back side 17 and terminateat the guide portion side 24. The transition may be gradual. Suchembodiment is shown, for example, in FIGS. 1E and 1F. The guide portion24 may be configured to keep the tool 10 in its desired path, remove anyundesirable debris in the tool's path, or both.

The guide portion 24 may terminate with an end portion or end point 26.The end portion 26 may be sharp, pointed, horned, jagged, serrated,spiky, needlelike, tapered, tipped, or dull. The end portion 26 mayinclude one or more spikes or protrusions or serrations 27, example ofwhich is shown schematically in FIG. 6A. The end portion 26 may beconfigured to move and/or cut through the soil, forming or slidingthrough a temporary gap or trench in the soil large enough toaccommodate at least a lower portion 16 of the tool such that the tool10 may slidably move through the soil and deposit the wire in the formedgap.

The guide portion 24 may further include a second end point 29. Thesecond end point 29 may be blunt or sharp, pointed, horned, jagged,serrated, spiky, needlelike, tapered, tipped, or dull. A non-limitingexample of the second end point 29 is shown in FIG. 1D.

The tool includes the bottom portion 16. The bottom portion 16 extendsfrom the opening 18 to the end portion 26. The bottom portion 16includes an edge 28. The edge 28 may be a sharp or pointy edge 28 alonga portion or the entire length of the portion 16. The bottom portion 16may have any suitable shape. For example, the bottom portion 16, or aportion of the bottom portion 16, may be shaped like a skating blade,leaf, having a cross-section of a rhombus, triangle, rectangle,leaf-linear, elongate with parallel margins, subulate—broad at the basetapering into a point, or the like. Non-limiting examples of the bottomportion 16 are shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.

The dimensions of the body 11 may be uniform or non-uniform. Forexample, the bottom portion 16 may have the same thickness as the guideportion 24, the remainder of the body 11 except for the attachmentportion 22 and the channel 20, as is shown in FIG. 8.

In another non-limiting example, shown in FIG. 9, the body 11 may havean edge 28 having a greater thickness than an inner portion of the body11. The edge 28 forms a recessed portion of the body 11 having a smallerthickness than the edge 28 portion. The edge 28 portion may gradually orabruptly transition into the body portion 11 having a smaller thickness.The body 11 may gradually increase in thickness from the top portion 12towards the bottom portion 16 or vice versa.

The example of FIG. 9 includes the channel 20 with a wide cross-section.The outer width w_(o) of the channel 20 may command or compliment thewidth of the edge 28. The same width of the edge 28 may extend from theopening 18 to the point 26. The point 26 itself may have a relativelysharp tip. Alternatively, the outer width w_(o) of the channel 20 maygradually decrease from the direction of the opening 18 to the point 26.

A portion of, or the entire length of, the side 24, side 17, the bottomportion 16, or their combination, may have the outer width w_(o) of thechannel 20, as can be seen in FIG. 9. Alternatively, the outer widthw_(o) of the channel 20 may have a greater width than a width of theside 17, 24, the bottom portion 16, their portions, or theircombination.

The tool 10 may be used in any type of terrain and in any type of soil.For example, the tool 10 may be used in a flat, hilly, or mountainousterrain. The tool may be used in topsoil, sand, dirt, clay, silt, andthe like.

The tool 10, or its portions, may be made from one type of material suchas plastic. The plastic may be thermoplastic or thermoset. The plasticmay be olefin-based such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP),polystyrene (PS), nylon, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABC), or thelike. The tool 10, or its portions, may be made from one or morecomposite materials. The tool 10, or its portions, may be made fromceramic. The tool 10, or its portions, may be made from metal. The tool10 may be made from more than one part. The tool 10 may be made as aunitary piece expect for the wire assembly, the wire, the second tool100, or a combination thereof.

A method of using the tool 10 is disclosed. The method may includeinstalling a wire assembly 19 on the tool 10 or another tool 100 to beattached onto the tool 10. The method may further include leading,installing, or threading a free end of the wire from the wire assembly19 via the opening 14 to the opening 18 of the channel 20. Theinstalling may include leading the free end of the wire through thechannel 20. The installing may include leading the free end of the wirethrough the entire length of the channel 20 or through a portion of thechannel 20 or under the bridges. The installing may result in the freeend of the wire resting at a point where the wire exits the channel 20.

The method may also include attaching a second or additional tool 100into the tool 10. The second tool 100 may be inserted, screwed, orotherwise secured into the attachment portion 22 of the tool. An examplesecond tool 100 may be a shaft. Alternatively, this step may be omittedif the shaft 102 is present.

The method may further include preparing the sod, flower bed, or anothertype of terrain where the wire installation is desired. The preparingmay include marking a line, cutting the line, or forming a shallowtrench, into a depth of a few to several inches to mark where theinstallation is desired. A non-limiting example depth may be about 0.5,1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, or more inches. The cutting, marking may be done, forexample, with a lawn edger, knife, or another sharp object including thetool's point 26. The method may also include inserting the tool 10 intothe ground to the depth of the cut where the cut initiates. Theinserting may include placing the tool into the marked cutline with thepoint 26 followed by placing the bottom portion 16 such that a portionof the bottom portion 16 is fully inserted in the ground and the topportion 12 with the tool 100 or the shaft 102 is upward, facing awayfrom the ground such that the tool 10 may be operated by a user.

The method may further include leading the tool 10, point 26 and side 24forward, in the marked line or cut, just underneath the terrain. Theleading may include sliding, dragging, pushing, or pulling the tool 10in the direction in which the user desires to deposit the wire. As thetool 10 proceeds forward under the terrain, the guide portion 24 ismoving ahead of the channel 20 releasing the wire, or wires, at thedesired depth. As the tool 10 proceeds forward under the terrain, thewire assembly 19, including the spool, keeps unwinding the wire, and thewire keeps being dispensed and released into the desired layerunderground and deposited therein. As the tool 10 moves forward, in thedirection in which the user desires to deposit the wire, the cut does ormay not extend in width, but may rather close above the deposited wire.The method may include enclosing the cut with an object after the wireis deposited and the tool 10 is removed.

The method may include securing the initial portion of the free end ofthe wire in the initial deposition site. The securing may be, forexample, with hardware such as a hook, knob, or by other means. Thedeposition method may be applied to any type of terrain. Upon completingthe desired trajectory, the wire may be cut, the tool removed from thecutline, and the wire may be secured in the ground according to thedesired application.

The method may be free of marking, pre-marking, preparing the entiredesired trajectory. Instead, the tool 10 may be inserted in the groundand lead in the desired direction. This may be practicable in a type ofsoil with minimal resistance such as dry sand.

The words used in the specification are words of description rather thanlimitation, and it is understood that various changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Aspreviously described, the features of various embodiments may becombined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not beexplicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments couldhave been described as providing advantages or being preferred overother embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one ormore desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the artrecognize that one or more features or characteristics may becompromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which dependon the specific application and implementation. These attributes mayinclude, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cyclecost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability,weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, embodimentsdescribed as less desirable than other embodiments or prior artimplementations with respect to one or more characteristics are notoutside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particularapplications.

What is claimed is:
 1. An in-ground wire installation tool comprising: abody having a concave-shaped side with a pointed edge; an opposing sideincluding a channel configured to dispense a wire, the concave-shapedside and the opposing side being connected via a top portion and abottom portion, the top portion including an attachment portionconfigured to house a shaft; and the bottom portion connecting theconcave-shaped side and the channel, the bottom portion having a blade.2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the attachment portion is immediatelyadjacent to the channel.
 3. The tool of claim 1, wherein the channel isa curved elongated channel.
 4. The tool of claim 1, wherein theattachment portion includes a screw-thread.
 5. The tool of claim 1,wherein the body is fin-shaped.
 6. The tool of claim 1, wherein theblade runs along an entire length of the bottom portion.
 7. The tool ofclaim 1, wherein the channel has a rectangular cross-section.
 8. Thetool of claim 1, further comprising a wire assembly, attachable to thetop portion, configured to dispense a wire.
 9. An in-ground wireinstallation tool comprising: a body having: a top portion; a bottomportion; a first side terminating in a blade; a second side, oppositethe first side, the second side having a channel configured to dispensea wire; the body configured to receive a shaft for driving the tool; andwherein the bottom portion is disposed between the first side and thesecond side.
 10. The tool of claim 9, further comprising a wire assemblyattachable to the body for dispensing the wire.
 11. The tool of claim 9,wherein the body includes an attachment portion configured to receivethe shaft.
 12. The tool of claim 9, wherein the body includes a rimhaving a greater thickness than the rest of the body.
 13. The tool ofclaim 9, wherein the channel runs from the bottom portion towards thetop portion.
 14. The tool of claim 9, wherein the side terminating witha blade includes a curvature.
 15. An in-ground wire installation toolcomprising: a body having: a top portion; a bottom portion; a first sidehaving a blade; a second side, opposite the first side, the second sidehaving a channel originating at the bottom portion and terminating atthe first side, the channel configured to dispense a wire; the bodyincluding an attachment portion, located in the top portion, configuredto receive a shaft for driving the tool; and wherein the bottom portionconnects the first side and the second side.
 16. The tool of claim 15,wherein the channel is an elongated straight channel.
 17. The tool ofclaim 15, wherein the attachment portion is located above the channel.18. The tool of claim 15, wherein the first side has a sharp edge alongits length.
 19. The tool of claim 15 further comprising a sleeveinsertable into the channel.
 20. The tool of claim 19, wherein thesleeve includes a securing mechanism adapted to lock the sleeve in aposition once inserted in the channel.